A Valiant Guard
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: Rachel and Sasha get an unusual present from the Smithsonian Museum, but little do they know, the present is more than what it seems. Gift story for newbienovelistRD. :)


**This idea came to me and is a gift story for newbienovelistRD, who helped me identify Sir Daniel Fortesque, who I had seen star in a series on YouTube with other skeletons like Jack Skellington, Brook, Manolo, Manny, and Lewis. I didn't recognize Sir Daniel until RD told me about the game "MediEvil", so I watched the gameplay of the original game on YouTube and was like "wait, I know that guy!" :) I believe the series on YouTube is called "Boneheads", but I might be wrong. I will say that whoever made those videos is totally awesome to bring those cool skeletons together to form a hilarious series. :) **

**Okay, I'm rambling. As I'm not completely familiar with MediEvil, I will be unable to accept requests for it at this time, but I might do more stories in the future with the lovable Sir Daniel. :) Also, please be gentle in the reviews. It's my first time doing a story with Sir Daniel. **

**Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. MediEvil belongs to its respective owners. I only own Rachel, Sasha, and Joseph Jocklin.**

* * *

**A Valiant Guard**

Rachel stretched as she stood up from her chair, feeling her bones shift and pop a little. "Ooh, I've been sitting too long," she said aloud.

"Me too," Sasha said, standing up. "This paperwork has been a nightmare."

"Let's take a break," her older sister said. "I'm nearly done over here anyway."

"Yeah, sounds good," the younger woman said. "I'm almost done here too."

A knock came to the door and the sisters looked at each other, not having expected anyone. Rook and Whampire were off on a mission with Ben and most of the aliens were out too. Only Frankenstrike and Alien X were at the mansion, the former working on a new invention for the Plumbers while the latter was resting after returning from a mission.

The sisters went to the foyer and opened the door, finding a long box sitting on their doorstep. "What's that?" Sasha asked in surprise.

"Let's have a look," Rachel said as she and her sister carefully opened the box, gasping at what they found inside.

It was a somewhat plain stone coffin, like one from medieval times. Both girls looked at each other before Rachel saw a paper and picked it up, opening it and reading the contents aloud.

"_Dear Miss Rachel and Miss Sasha Jocklin,_

_The museum would like to ask you to keep this item you've received as a gift for the very generous monetary contribution your uncles recently made to our humble museum. We know that you girls will appreciate such a treasure as you were both brought up to appreciate the things of the past. Many well wishes to you both. _

_Sincerely, _

_The curator for the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C." _

Sasha's jaw dropped. "_The _Smithsonian Museum sent us this?" She asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"Yeah," her sister agreed. "I mean, people make contributions to the Smithsonian all the time. Why would the curator send us this for the contribution our uncles made?"

"I don't like this," the brown-haired girl said. "I'm getting Frankenstrike."

"And I'll get Alien X," the blonde-haired girl said.

* * *

_Moments later..._

"What do you make of it?" Rachel asked the Celestialsapien, whose green eyes glowed gently as he examined the stone coffin with his powers.

"Well, it's sealed, for one," he said. "And it's lightweight. Like nothing's inside."

Rachel tested it herself and found he was right. "So, nothing's inside?" She asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure," Alien X replied, sounding concerned. "I don't think I want to dare open it."

"That's true," she said. "Maybe Frankenstrike can find something in an x-ray."

Sasha came up to them. "He said bring it in," she said, though looked wary. "What if it's someone's final resting place and the museum just didn't want it?"

"I don't know," Rachel replied. "Let's see what Frankenstrike can tell us."

The scientist alien did all sorts of x-rays and after a bit, shook his head. "Nothing's inside," he said. "And I can't find any indication that it's from our enemies. Besides, our enemies don't know where we are."

"That's true, and any time they have stumbled upon here, we've had their memories wiped so that they wouldn't find us again," Alien X said.

"Guys, are you saying that this coffin might just be a replica of a real thing?" Sasha asked, hoping it was.

"It looks like it," Frankenstrike said. "Perhaps the Smithsonian had no room for it."

"But the Smithsonian is a huge museum," Rachel said. "It's one of the largest museums in the world."

"So why would they give a coffin to us because of our uncles making a donation?" Sasha asked.

"That's a mystery," the older girl said. "And unfortunately, our uncles are flying back from that seminar, so we can't call them yet."

Alien X nodded. "Well, I guess the best thing to do would be to call the museum," he said.

Frankenstrike looked it up and shook his head. "I'm afraid they're closed right now and won't be open until the morning, something about renovations," he said. "Plus it's late over there and we're a few hours behind them."

"That's true," Rachel said. "Well, let's put this thing somewhere where it won't be disturbed and in the morning, we'll call the Smithsonian and try to make sense of this very odd gift."

"How about the basement?" Sasha suggested. "We could put it in one of the rooms on the side."

That was met with agreement and the four of them put the coffin down there before closing the door. "Alright, that should do it," Alien X said before they all went back upstairs, the Celestialsapien going back to a book he was reading, Frankenstrike going back to his experiments, and Rachel and Sasha getting back to their paperwork, the coffin the farthest thing from their minds at the moment.

Little did they know, they were in for a shock.

* * *

Down in the basement, inside that coffin, a figure began to stir and he felt a surge of lighting run through his bones. "Ah, that feels good," he said as he sat up, opening the coffin lid and pushing it back as he sat up, his one eye glancing around. "Hmm. This doesn't look like my home in dear Gallowmere."

While he noted the place had stone and brick, it seemed a bit more modern and he didn't see the stone bull heads anywhere. "Could I have slept for so long again that the world has changed?"

For you see, it was recently that he had faced Zarok again and defeated him once again, so the skeletal knight was a bit worried. Getting up, he opened the door in front of him and peeked out, his sword ready and in his hand for in case he ran into a monster or something worse.

A humming sound caught his attention and he turned to find a young woman with brown hair coming towards him. She stopped suddenly when she looked up and saw him. Her blue eyes widened in alarm and her mouth dropped open as a loud scream left her and she ran. The skeletal knight gave chase, fearing that the girl might blow his cover.

Sasha had seen a lot of things in her life, but seeing a skeleton that was dressed like a knight coming from the basement freaked her out as she had a sudden, horrid thought that he had come from the coffin, which mean it was now open and possibly dangerous. "I've got to get the others," she said to herself before her hands glowed green and she made the nearby plants grow longer to slow down her pursuer.

The skeleton saw this and his eye widened as he saw her hands glow green and she was fast. Stopping short as fear and curiosity filled him, he ducked into another room and stayed hidden, waiting for the girl to pass by. He was afraid because she had powers, making him realize she was possibly a witch, but he was curious because if she was a witch, she surely wouldn't have been scared of a skeleton, right?

Hunkering down, he waited patiently, soon hearing her footsteps and seeing her pause outside the room he was in. Moving quickly, the skeleton felt regret fill him, but he knew it had to be done. With quick movements, he grabbed the girl.

Sasha felt someone grab her and she went to scream, but a hand clapped over her mouth. "I'm sorry," an unfamiliar voice said in her ear before she felt her captor gently pinch a nerve in her neck. Fear filled her as her world went black.

Catching the girl as she passed out, the skeletal knight lifted her bridal-style in his arms, holding her with the greatest care as he carried her back to the room where he had woken up, gently placing her in the coffin, the plush red lining and pillows making it comfortable for the girl. He then tied her hands together, not liking that he was taking a lady prisoner, but he felt he had no choice for the moment. He then sat down in a chair beside the coffin, watching and waiting for her to wake up.

* * *

_Thirty minutes later..._

Sasha opened her eyes, noting she was laying on a soft surface, but when she saw she was laying in the now-open coffin, she opened her mouth to scream. A gloved hand quickly covered her mouth before the scream could escape and she was gently pushed back down into the coffin, a face coming into view and her eyes widened fearfully as she saw it was a skeleton with one eye and was wearing armor. She also noted her hands were tied, making her heart sink as she realized this monster had just taken her prisoner.

"Please, be calm, fair maiden. I will not hurt you."

The voice, she realized, came from the skeleton and she looked up at him with her frightened blue eyes. "You have my word that I will not harm you, but I'd like some answers," he said. "If you're calm and give me the answers I seek, I'll let you go. Do you understand?"

Sasha nodded, swallowing as the skeletal knight removed his hand and sat down in a chair beside her, looking at her. "Where am I, fair maiden?" He asked. "What country is this?"

She took a deep breath. "You're in Staybrook, California, in America," she said to him.

The skeleton looked curious. "Hmm," he said before nodding. "Has an evil man called Zarok appear again?"

Sasha blinked. "Who's Zarok?" She asked.

"My enemy, who I defeated twice now, to save Gallowmere, my home."

The brunette blinked and shook her head. "I don't know anyone by the name Zaork and where is Gallowmere?"

"My home," he replied before looking at her and gently placing a hand on her bound hands. "You're being truthful," he said before standing up and one gloved hand gently brushed some of her long hair away from the girl's face. "And you're too pretty to be an evil witch, so you must be a good witch."

"I'm not a witch," she said, realizing he must have seen her use her powers. "I'm just a human that can control plants."

"You're a gifted girl, then," he said with a smile before seeming to jolt. "My goodness, where are my manners?"

He bowed politely to her. "Fair maiden, I am Sir Daniel Fortesque, defender of Gallowmere." He untied her hands, taking her left one in his own and kissing the back of her hand in respect. "Please forgive me for frightening you. It was not my intent as I was examining my surroundings."

Sasha was impressed by his manners and she looked at the coffin, noting how it was plush on the inside. "Um, is this your...coffin?" She asked, a note of fear in her voice.

"Actually, it's my bed," he admitted before looking bashful. "Here. Allow me."

He gently picked her up bridal style, setting her down on her feet before smiling at her. "The man who holds your heart is a lucky one to have such a fair maiden as his bride," he said.

The brunette blushed. "Actually, he's my husband-to-be," she explained before smiling at him and curtseying. "And I'm pleased to meet such a gallant knight."

The skeleton actually blushed at that. "I hope I'm not too bold to ask your name, fair maiden?"

She smiled again. "I'm Sasha Jocklin," she said.

Rachel, who had been watching for a bit, smiled and came out of the shadows. "And I'm Rachel Jocklin, her older sister," she said. "So...you're the mystery person in the coffin."

"Mystery?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You were sent to us by the Smithsonian Museum," Sasha said.

"Hmm. I do remember being there in storage as apparently the men were afraid to open the lid to my bed," he said. "I've been there since my most recent victory over Zarok, my mortal enemy."

"Then you're really a lost warrior," Rachel said. "But why would the Smithsonian give you to me and my sister?"

"I don't know, Miss," he said. "But I'm glad, because I shall guard the castle you ladies reside in with my life."

The sisters giggled a little. "Actually, we live in a mansion," Sasha said. "But you're welcome to stay, if you wish."

"Thank you for your kindness to a humble knight, fair maidens," he said, bowing again. "I accept."

Rachel smiled before getting a sneaky idea. "Hey, Sasha. What's the best way to greet a skeleton?" She asked.

"I don't know. What?" Sasha asked, seeing the grin on her sister's face before understanding dawned on her as to what her sister had in mind.

"By tickling his funny bone!" The blonde-haired girl said before tackling Sir Daniel, who yelped in surprise as he fell over in his haste to catch her. Sasha quickly joined her sister and the skeleton yelped when he felt twenty fingers wiggling into his ribs, making him laugh.

"AHHH! OH, NOHOHOHOHOHOHO! NOHOHOHOHOT THAHAHAHAHAT! IHIHIHIHIHIHI'M TIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHICKLISH!" He laughed out.

"We can tell," Sasha said with a giggle.

"All new friends who come to live under this roof get tickled by us and our family," Rachel said, grinning. "We call it the Grant Mansion initiation."

Alien X and Frankenstrike came down to see what the commotion was about and gladly joined in before they gave the knight a break. He chuckled as he looked up at them. "Well, I have not had a welcome like this before," he admitted before smiling.

"Hello?" A voice called out and the girls gasped happily.

"Uncle Joseph!" They cried out, quickly running to go greet their uncle.

Alien X and Frankenstrike laughed. "Ah, the girls missed him," the former said.

"Come. Let's all welcome him back," the scientist alien said.

Sir Daniel went with them as they came upon the sight of Rachel and Sasha hugging an older man happily and he kissed their foreheads in affection. "Ah, my two sunflowers," he said. "It feels good to be home."

"We're glad you and the others are home, Uncle Joseph," Rachel said.

"By the way, did you guys recently make a contribution to the Smithsonian Museum?" Sasha asked. "They sent us a rather unusual gift."

He smiled before seeing Sir Daniel was coming up with Alien X and Frankenstrike. "Ah, Fortesque, old friend!" He said with a smile.

"Why, Joseph Jocklin!" The skeletal knight said, greeting his old friend with a hearty handshake. "Wait...then these two ladies must be your wonderful nieces that you've told me so much about."

"Yes, they are," the scientist said.

"Wait, you know Sir Daniel, Uncle Joseph?" Rachel asked.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "I learned he was in storage in the Smithsonian and they were looking to either donate him or ship him off into storage, so I asked the curator if I might be allowed to purchase the coffin. He said the contribution my brothers and I had made last month had helped them to add a few new rooms for their history section and so he insisted I have Sir Daniel's coffin. Granted, they didn't know that the coffin was really his bed, but I requested that it be sent to you girls, and it seems the curator sent it here right away."

Sasha's jaw dropped. "So, you knew Sir Daniel was inside the coffin before it was sent to us?" She asked.

"That's right, my dear," her uncle said, still smiling. "And I knew that if I had his coffin sent here, he'd be welcomed by my favorite nieces."

"Uncle Joseph, we're your only nieces," Rachel said with a smile. "And Sir Daniel accepted our offer for him to stay."

"And I'm glad I did," he said, his hands resting on the sisters' shoulders. "It is a great honor to be guarding the nieces of my best friend and I swear to you, I shall protect the mansion with my life."

"Looks like we aliens aren't the only guards around here," Alien X said with a chuckle.

"True that," Frankenstrike said.

As for Rachel and Sasha, they just smiled, giggling when both aliens and Sir Daniel caught them and tickled them playfully. As the sisters squirmed to escape, they were not only happy for their uncles being back home, but also for gaining not only a valiant guard, but also a new friend.

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**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


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